Beauty, Cruelty: Portugal gut punches USA

The beauty and cruelty of the world’s game was on full display in Manaus.

Twenty-seven seconds from defying all odds and advancing through the Group of Death to the knockout round, the United States mistakenly provided a sliver of an opening.

And the world’s superstar slipped through it. Player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo – after 94 unremarkable minutes – sent a perfect cross to the head of a charging Silvestre Varela who knocked the ball into goal.

It was a gut punch. In a heartbeat everything changed in Group G. Every team is still alive. Nobody is eliminated. The possibilities are endless.

And it sets up an epic and very personal battle.

Now the United States faces its final game of group play on Thursday against Germany, with everything on the line. Jurgen Klinsmann against his own country. German coach Joachim Loew against his former boss. Players that Klinsmann helped develop against their old mentor. Players that couldn’t make the German team or simply chose to don the American jersey instead against their home country.

“We’ve got to do it the tougher way,” Klinsmann said. “We have to beat Germany.”

A win and the United States wins the group. But those words are easier to say than to fulfill, as no one knows better than Klinsmann, who played for Germany in three World Cups, winning one, and coached the team to the semifinals of another.

A draw would get both Germany and the United States and there was some talk about a gentleman’s match-fixing agreement. Klinsmann actually answered questions in the post-game press conference about such a possibility. He said it wouldn’t happen, that neither team would consider it.

I believe him. It’s 1) not the American way of doing things. And 2) it’s unlikely that the Germans want to make a deal with Klinsmann, who wasn’t the most popular guy in Germany by the time he moved. Loew was considered the brains behind the operation but Klinsmann was thought to receive too much credit. All of Germany seemed irritated that Klinsmann lived in California while coaching the national team. Plus, Germany thinks it’s the best team in the tournament and doesn’t want two draws going forward.

So, if a draw isn’t possible, and if Germany asserts its dominance and beats the Americans, then what happens? If Ghana and Portugal, in a game that will be played simultaneously on Thursday, tie then both the United States and Germany are both through. But that’s unlikely as Ghana-Portugal will be a knockout game and both teams will be going for it. So, it may come down to goal differential. If the U.S. loses and Ghana wins by enough goals the U.S. team would be eliminated.

Even though the U.S. team has four points after two games – a noble result in this difficult group – and the respect of the world for its fight, the postgame vibe was extremely disappointing. The U.S. defensive breakdown allowed an early goal by Nani but the team fought back to tie on a stunning strike from Jermaine Jones. And the U.S. team took the lead in the 81st minute on a goal by captain Clint Dempsey.

The Americans could rightly feel they had outplayed Portugal for the majority of the game. But in the final seconds, Michael Bradley turned the ball over, Geoff Cameron lost Varela and the game ended up a disheartening tie.

“It’s a little bit of a bummer,” said Klinsmann, sounding like a full on California dude.

“Football is cruel sometimes,” Tim Howard said, sounding like an English keeper.

Cruel and captivating. Now comes a quick turnaround and a potentially difficult recovery – both physically and emotionally – for the United States. The teams that had played in the previous match in Manaus – England and Italy – wilted in their subsequent game and lost. The Americans have one fewer day to rest than Germany does, and both Germany and Ghana played in a far more moderate environment in their Saturday game.

The U.S. team might be rethinking its choice to stay in Sao Paulo, on the other side of the country from where their games are located. Late Sunday, the Americans faced another long night flight back, three days of recovery and preparation, and then a long flight Wednesday to Recife for Thursday’s game.

It’s been draining. Emotional. Exhilarating. Agonizing. And so, so compelling.

Klinsmann’s presence will likely motivate the Germans, but if anyone knows how to beat Germany, it may be their former leader. He is pushing all the right buttons for his U.S. team right now. And he understands the German mindset and tendency.

And he’s also tapping into those uniquely American traits. A willingness to fight. To play bravely. To be tough. To not back down.

“We want to play in a way Americans can respect and be proud of,” Bradley said. “To say, ‘Yeah, that’s our team.'”